“See the conquering hero comes,
  Sound the trumpets, beat the drums!”

Is not this returning like a nabob, Roger?  Hath not God blest thee through the crock of gold at last, in spite of sin?

There, at the entrance by the mile-stone, stood Mary and the babes, with a knot of friends around her, bright with happiness; on the top of it was perched son Tom, waving the blue and silver flag of Hurstley, and acting as fugleman to a crowd of uproarious cheerers; and beside it, on the bank, sat Sarah Stack, overcome with joy, and sobbing like a gladsome Niobe.

And the village bells went merrily; every cottage was gay with spring garlands, and each familiar face lit up with looks of kindness; Hark! hark!—­“Welcome, honest Roger, welcome home again!” they shout:  and the patereroes on the lawn thunder a salute; “welcome, honest neighbour;”—­and up went, at bright noon, Tom Stableboy’s dozen of rockets wrapped around with streamers of glazed calico—­“welcome, welcome!”

Good Mr. Evans stood at the door of fine old Hurstley, in wig, and band, and cassock, to receive back his wandering sheep that had been lost:  and the school-children, ranged upon the steps, thrillingly sang out the beautiful chant, “I will arise, and go to my Father, and will say unto Him, ’Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before Thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son!’”

Every head was uncovered, and every cheek ran down with tears.

CHAPTER LIV.

SIR JOHN’S PARTING SPEECH.

THEN Sir John, standing up in the barouche at his own hall-door, addressed the assembled multitude: 

“Friends, we are gathered here to-day, in the cause of common justice and brotherly kindness.  There are many of you whom I see around me, my tenants, neighbours, or dependants, who have met with wrongs and extortions heretofore, but you all shall be righted in your turn; trust me, men, the old hard times are gone, your landlord lives among you, and his first care shall be to redress your many grievances, paying back the gains of your oppressor.”

“God bless you, sir, God bless you!” was the echo from many a gladdened heart.

“But before I hear your several claims in turn, which shall be done to-morrow, our chief duty this day is to recompense an honest man for all that he has innocently suffered.  It is five-and-thirty years, as I find by my books, on this very first of May, since Roger Acton first began to work at Hurstley; till within this now past evil month, he has always been the honest steady fellow that you knew him from his youth:  what say you, men, to having as a bailiff one of yourselves; a kind and humble man, a good man, the best hand in the parish in all the works of your vocation—­a steady mind, an honest heart—­what say ye all to Roger Acton?”

There was a whirlwind of tumultuous applause.